Spain… a country at your fingertips.

As previously did Portugal and Greece, Spain invites foreigners to invest in the country, providing a number of advantages.

photo: T.B.Channel

We will do an analysis of the measures that autorize the grant of a residence permit in Spain to foreign investors upon request.

Following the adoption of the new law on entrepeneurs, last September (law 14/2013 ) appears among others, measures to encourage foreign and domestic investment. The aim of the law is to facilitate international mobility, as well as the entrance and stay of foreigners in Spain for economic reasons, by making a significant capital investment.

Non resident foreigners, buying real estate in Spain, with an investment same or higher than € 500.000 each, may apply for a residence visa ( which allows them to live in Spain for a year ). This period of residence may be extended, upon application for a residence permission for two years more. Being this last period of two years renewable for two more years, subject to maintain the same conditions that allowed grant authorization.

This investment will be verified by one or more certificates evidencing the domain, issued by Real Estate Register, belonging tho this property. Must prove that they have the ownership of the property by continued certified information domain and loads of the real estate Register that belongs to the property. The certification will include a verification e-code for the enquire on line.

If at the time of visa application, the acquisition of the property was still in process of registration in Real Estate Register, will be enough to submit the certification, stating current seat submission of the acquisition documentation, acompanied by taxes payment certification.

The applicant shall prove in this way, his investment of 500.000€ or more in real estate, free of charges. In the event that the investment exceeds € 500.000, the portion of this exceed may be subject to taxes.

There are several limitations to the grant of a residence permission for real estate investment:

* The person who does the investment must not be ilegally in Spain, or had any criminal record in the country, or any other countries where he head lived for the last five years.

*Must have public or private health insurance, as well as enough personal economic resources.

* the property acquired by investor must be free of charges. In case it has a mortgage, the investor loses it’s right to have the residence.

In addition to the information concerned to real estate market, the purpose of this new regulation also includes stimulating foreign investment in several areas, while promoting business entrepeneurship development in the country, scientific and technological innovation, seeking to create employment .

“Vertical gardens” are some sort of ecologic insulation for the building, adding more value to the facades or their interior. This type of garden can increase the property’s value.

Vertical gardening projects have been developed by teams of botanists, architects, designers and engineers, with the aim of reshaping urban spaces.

Their goal is to ​​decorate a home, an office, to provide a greater amount of oxygen to an area, or embellishing a facade, but always with the use of creativity.

The driver of “Vertical gardens” for more than 30 years has been the botanist Patrick Blanc (famous for its achievements worldwide).

Let’s take a look at an interesting contribution that was made during the Singapore Garden Festival by the Gardens By the Bay Project (shown in the following images), which built 18 artificial Supertrees, 25-50 meters high, each one covered with almost 200 species of plants. The supertrees also function as exhaust vents for the conservatories and as dining spaces.

One of the greatest vertical garden in the world is located in the Italian shopping center of Fiordaliso, Milan, embracing more than 40,000 plants.

It is particularly in the buildings covered by these vertical gardens where one could appreciate the difference of what we call “active walls”; which are those that join the building’s own air circulation system. There are a number of fans that blow air through the wall which then make this air to circulate inside the building, and thus increasing the oxygen levels. This system helps heal the so-called “sick buildings”.

This is a building they built in Vancouver.

As we have seen in the photos above, the appearance is that of a regular garden, except that it’s in a vertical position. These buildings are usually developed in places where there is little or NO space to design normal gardens.

How it’s done?

The garden is planted on a wall using different sheets of a fibrous material anchored to the wall with coconut fiber substrate for the roots to grow. There are several techniques to develop these gardens: hydroponic, modular, sphagnum, pre-planted, etc…

* Hydroponic system: the compost is administered to plants through substances in the irrigation process. The roots grow in an inert environment: nonwoven felt (polyamide, polyester ..) rockwool, and technical foams.

* Vertical substrate: the roots grow in a granular medium with organic percentage. The substrate mixture of perlite, arlita is quite high in order to achieve aeration, drainage and water retention. Nutrients are administered through irrigation.

For these gardens, the life of its plants will depend upon the interaction between water and the substrate.

We describe the “ecological urbanism” concept as the trend of eco-construction. Environmental protection and energy management are increasingly a global concern. “Vertical gardens” create green spaces within the cities, covering building’s facades, divisor walls, hotel courtyards and a wide range of possibilities.

There is a difference between traditional green walls and vertical gardens that are self-sufficient:

On one hand, green walls are those covered with climbing plants such as ivy or bougainvillea, whose roots are spread within the ground, from which they get the water and food to grow up. These plants use the wall as a support to grow taking many years to cover it all. Climbing plants may damage the wall or create humidity problems in the building’s foundations, given the thickness of its roots.

On the other hand, vertical gardens can be found inside or outside a building, consisting of a wide variety of species that receive the water and nutrients from the wall, rather than directly from the ground. To prevent moisture from reaching the walls, designers chose to place a galvanized structure as a base leaving a space of 2 to 5 cm between the wall and the centers of plants to create a ventilation channel.

These gardens can complement urban architecture by displaying walls full of color that may vary as the vegetation grows, thus altering the initial exterior and interior design.

In his contribution to the environment we see that vertical gardens:

* Are decontaminating gardens. The concentration of plants can vary from 30-45 per m2, being able to balance air pollution by giving back cleaner air. Plants store CO2 and then filter it, allowing them to treat a volume of greenhouse gases greater than that issued by the building. The irrigation system is adapted to the climate conditions in which the building is located usually resulting in less water consumption.

* Isolate the building from the outside noise by creating a vegetable wall between the street and the building.

* Improve the building’s thermal conditions by maintaining cooler temperatures in the summer.

The Mobile World Congress, or the spot where the mobile industry reunites to do business.

Barcelona, ​​chosen as the capital of the world for mobiles, has been hosting this show since 2006 becoming a referent in new technologies.

The WMC is presented as a showcase for innovation, as well as an opportunity to find industrial partners that may help one develop new technologies… You must take into account that this sector can change very quickly, as we have seen in recent years; a new service that nobody knew or expected may occur at any time influencing the entire sector. If we look back in the last few years, we’ve had a shift from the WEB stage to the social networking sites (i.e. this YouTube video where Michelle Obama shakes up the social network has had 2 million hits in only 24 hours).

and Apps are today’s deal…. .

What will the WMC surprise us with this time? Can’t wait to see it! There will be up to 1,500 companies (Huawei, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Vodafone, Telefonica, only to mention a few)…. and Privalia, Lets Bonus, Groupalia, Spamina, Digital Legends Entertainment, Zyncro, Abertis Telecom among the local ones….

The mobile world doesn´t pair up with the Spanish crisis, it is estimated that in Spain 16 million people are connected to the network through their smart phones. People can´t manage without their cell phone. In many different sectors of the economy, and specially in the real estate sector, we have reinvented the way we work with new technologies, with cell phones having the greatest impact. We’ve become use to be reachable and connected, resulting in one of the most important part of our life. For example forgetting your cell phone at home may have an impact on your schedule, your work, and even your personal life, and not far from today in trouble with payments. In short, it has become a tool for survival in our day to day, that keeps on covering more and more functions.

The unstoppable tech innovation introduces changes in people’s needs, creating a new social trend that encourages these industries to never stop growing. And we are not talking about a single industry, because it encompasses many others: telephones, hardware or content, in addition to other companies / brands with presence in the mobile or tablet markets.

The mobility sector ignites the emergence of new companies and new jobs, especially in the area of ​​Apps, where individuals with some technological expertise and an idea can develop applications that will be placed in the various market places; the selling points that smart phones offer (App Store, Android Market are the most popular).

The flats that sold the most are the smaller ones, which are also the ones whose price has decreased the most. Its average price is around €300,000.

When we want bolster a flat’s space to make it seem larger, we must resort to neatness / organization and decorative tricks. The lounges –dining space- with the integrated kitchen are very common in today’s homes. That is why it’s important to throw some numbers and sketches to see how to incorporate the lounge dining area, sofas, shelves ….

1 – How to combine colors:

* Use the colors following a monochromatic line, decorating with different tonalities of one color range.
* Paint using soft and cool colors such as green and blue that create a feeling of wide open spaces.
* The roofs must be of a lighter color than walls. But if a room is square and we want to give the impression that it’s rectangular (to make it look more elongated), this can be achieved using optical effect in two opposite walls with a cool color and a warmer color in the other two.

* White is the traditional color most used in decoration, as it makes the space look larger and brighter.

2-FURNITURE:

* Furniture shouldn’t contrast with the color of the walls as the same space would feel narrower.
* It is best to choose small sized furniture, but if you are eager to put large pieces, make sure they are against the wall. It is advisable to use folding furniture in order to clear the way. You may also find very practical dual-use furniture such as bed-sofa, or a central-table with drawers.
* The shelves are very helpful as allow you to place objects without taking away usable space.
* If you have the possibility to put gliding doors, do it as they don’t take away space when opened. Wardrobes offer greater integration into the decor and at the same time are more invisible.
* It is better to use blinds rather than curtains as the latter are thicker and take up more space.
* It is useful and inexpensive to include mirrors, which besides giving more breadth to the space it also increases the home’s luminosity.

3 – LIGHTING: It is very important to know how to use lighting in order to help achieve the desired effects.

* This is usually not an easy topic and it is best if you resort to a specialist, because many variables come into play when choosing the right lighting for every stay, such as: what kind of bulb to use based on price / consumption / power (LEDs, halogen light bulbs), the type of bulb for floor lamp, ….or what if you prefer a cooler or a warmer light, or you are thinking about light regulators… whether to place it, in the ceiling, a wall…..

* In order to give an airy feel to the room, you have to focus the light to the walls or ceiling (indirect illumination).

This is the birth of the micro-hotel concept. These small cabins can be rented by the hour and are located in airports, train stations or shopping centers among others.

The “sleep boxes” are 2×1 meters, or 4×2,30 meters.
They were born as resting oasis for passengers in transit, who have suffered delays or flight cancellations, without having to travel to hotels outside of the airports that are usually more expensive.

In the airport terminal you get the electronic key that allows you to access these cabins for the amount of time that you purchase, which can range from 15 minutes to several hours.
The architecture and design firm “Arch-Russian Group”, included a small bed with an automatic mechanism that changes sheets from user to user, a ventilation system, lighting using LEDs, alarm, tv, wi-fi, and a platform to work.

Although I personally prefer larger spaces, this can be a resting alternative in airports; gives you the opportunity to read, sleep, charge an electronic device, or just working quietly in the time between flights.

This system is currently running, and very well received by the public, at airports such as Moscow, Paris, and Munich.

The current design trend is to make it endless, visually integrated with the sea.
Here is a selection of pools around the world;

They come in different sizes…

forms….

different colors and materials…

in resorts of exotic islands…

of architectural design…

in mansions with its own fireplace

by the house…

pool & the sea as one….

hot & cold pools…

in city lofts….

in hotels of big cities…

in hotels by the beach…

It doesn’t matter where they are …. or if they are green, blue, or white … if they are made from natural stone, glass or surrounded by teak wood … if they are in resorts integrated in the wild, or in the city…. or if they have waterfalls and fountains ….. IT IS A LUXURY ONLY TO STARE AT THEM.

Construmat 2011 focused on internationalization and in recapturing the refurbishment business, which is growing at a rate of 11%.

In the process of Internationalization, an agreement was reached with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) – 中国 国际 贸易 促进 委员会 – whose goal is the promotion of international trade, developing economic agreements with foreign countries through the creation of professional networking to export the construction exhibition into China. The show took place in July, 2012 in Beijing, to which 200 local and international organizations attended, and who performed many activities dedicated to sustainable construction. The China Council promoted the participation of exhibitors, visitors and the industry associations in the country.

It is difficult for European companies to compete with the prices of major Chinese builders, however they can compete in the products’ quality. The idea was that Construmat China, besides offering sustainable products, offered finished products such as faucets, fences, painting and ceramics.

Here are some highlights regarding the current Chinese real estate market (some mentioned in previous posts):

1-For the most part, the idea of refurbishing buildings is not shared by Chinese, and as a consequence buildings degrade within few years, which are then subject to demolition, and then rebuilt from ground. In general, the quality of the materials used in construction is not good which brings to the eye the need to restore / paint facades.

2 – However, the Chinese market demands a European based design for their homes. The demand for designers / architects for residential or resort projects of a European – Spanish style can be very attractive. In fact, in one of the Chinese real estate fairs I visited last year, a leading developer requested a European technician capable of completing a Spanish-style design for a residential mega-project.

Brazil could be the next destination to host this fair with its own brand despite the deal not being closed yet. It is a country that everyone talks about. It’s a popular country given its economic growth, its upcoming sporting events (Olympic Games…), and for being an emerging market with great growth potential… The fair would be a great gateway to the Latin American market!! In the show held in Barcelona last year, ​​Brazil was the foreign country with the highest number of exhibitors.

The Manifest: The construction sector joined hands and elaborated a manifest in which they demanded support to overcome the crisis. They requested measures to support new construction, rehabilitation, and to maintain the appropriate level of investment in building as well as the level of attraction of foreign buyers for the residential sector. This was presented by the President of Construmat, J. Miarnau (Comsa-Emte), along with SEOPAN, the Association of Builders and Promoters (APCE), and the Colleges of Spanish Architects.

Sustainability: I would like to stress the European Solar Decathlon, a competition of scale models of solar buildings that involved fifteen European countries. A forum dedicated to sustainable thinking, with national and international presentations.

Rehabilitation in Spain: is the segment within the construction sector that is experiencing considerable growth.

Construmat 2011, the International Exhibition of construction that was held in Barcelona in 2011, renewed its biennial meeting announcing its progress despite the crisis. The Organization signed an agreement for this show to take place in China in 2012, aiming to help the brick industry penetrate in the Asian market. At the same time they were also awaiting to close a deal with Brazil, to host the show there, with the consequent impact on the Latin American market.

In Spain, it is the most important exhibition of the construction industry, and in Europe one of the largest along with Batimat. The following take place during the show:

* Is a place where builders, developers, architects, and manufacturers of materials converge.

* New processes and developments of innovative materials arise.

* It is a meeting point to analyze, discuss and present the major technology releases, market news, and new industry trends.
Due to the current crisis, demand for construction material has fallen in Europe. Companies that want to grow must go outside (which is also a way to dispose of the surplus in construction machinery that Spain currently holds). Construmat helps especially SME’s, which are the ones that present more difficulties to send missions to China, by participating on their expansion process and advising them about the peculiarities of other markets (i.e the large Chinese market). Construction is growing dramatically in China due to the internal migration of people from rural areas to the big cities (which I explained in previous posts).

The internationalization of companies that manufacture building materials that were already positioned in other foreign markets, has allowed them to increase their sales (i.e. the group Cosentino, producer of Silestone). According to an interview published by El País, May 15, 2011, Cosentino was well positioned in the U.S. market and stated that 70% of its revenues were from outside of Spain, and hoped to reach 82% in 2013. Its main projects during 2011 were to enter in Asia and Latin America, and to have a total of 30 people in their ​​R&D department, currently focusing its research on new technologies and designs, such as ECO (its organic product, winner of a European award…) “What gives us strength is to do different things“.